Where does “下の下” come from?

下の下 (Japanese) comes from Japanese の, from Old Japanese の, from Middle Chinese 能 — talent, ability.

下の下 (Japanese): lowest of its kind, the worst

Definitions

  1. lowest of its kind, the worst

Ancestry of “下の下”, step by step

下の下 traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Japanese の

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Japaneseのgenitive case marker; nominative case marker in a...
2Old Japaneseのplain, field
3Middle Chinese能talent, ability

via Japanese 下

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Japanese下the below; the lower portion, end; low in degree...
2Middle Chinese下—
Every word from Middle Chinese 能 →Every word from Old Japanese の →Every word from Japanese の →